The present invention relates to energy absorbing devices for vehicles and, more particularly, to a lateral energy absorbing device for an amusement ride vehicle.
Ride vehicles have been a common form of entertainment for decades in amusement parks all across the country. A typical form of amusement ride vehicle comprises a body with a passenger seating area for one or more passengers, and a wheeled-chassis which follows a predetermined path. The path may comprise a roadway or other surface upon which wheels of the chassis are in rolling contact. In some cases, the passenger is allowed to take a minor role in directing the travel of the vehicle, for example, by steering it within a defined lateral range along the path, and by controlling its rate of speed. To limit the lateral travel of the vehicle with respect to the path, a vertical rail or the like may be connected to the center of the path throughout its length, with at least two wheels of the vehicle riding on opposite sides of the rail. When the lateral travel of the vehicle approaches the limit defined by the rail, a stop or other means on the vehicle will contact the rail to prevent further lateral travel.
While ride vehicles of the type described above have the desirable feature that the vehicle can travel in a lateral direction as it moves along the path, such vehicles are not without certain recognized limitations and drawbacks. For example, the range of lateral travel of the vehicle with respect to the path generally is limited by the lateral distance between the pair of wheels on the vehicle that straddle the vertical rail on the path. Therefore, in order to provide a wider range of lateral travel, the distance between the pair of wheels on the vehicle necessarily must be wider. In addition, when the maximum range of lateral travel has been reached, the force generated by the impact between the vertical rail and the stop on the vehicle can be significant. Oftentimes, the impact results in an unpleasant jolt to the passengers in the vehicle. This may expose the passengers to an unacceptable safety risk if proper precautions are not taken.
In other cases, the lateral travel of the vehicle may be limited by vertical walls that border the path and thereby define its width. When the vehicle travels too far laterally with respect to the path, the vehicle will collide with one of the vertical walls to prevent it from leaving the path. Since the danger of head-on collisions between the vehicle and the vertical walls presents unacceptable safety risks, the width of the path, as defined by the lateral distance between the two vertical walls, necessarily must be quite limited to prevent such head-on collisions or collisions at other angles that expose the passengers to unacceptable safety risks. In any event, when lateral travel of the vehicle results in contact between the vehicle and one of the vertical walls, the passengers typically receive an unpleasant jolt which detracts from the ride experience.
Accordingly, there has existed a definite need for an amusement ride vehicle that permits an increased amount of lateral travel of the vehicle with respect to its path, without exposing the passengers to unpleasant jolts or unacceptable or undesirable safety risks. The present invention satisfies these and other needs and provides further related advantages.